Average power rating of opponents played: DETROIT 95.9, CHARLOTTE 96.2

SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

DETROIT - Season Results

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Team Stats

Opp Stats

Date

Opponent

Score

SU

Line

ATS

Tot.

O/U

Shots

Pct

REB

TO

Shots

Pct

REB

TO

1/17/2018

@ TORONTO

91-96

L

8.5

W

212.5

U

37-88

42.0%

55

14

34-80

42.5%

56

20

1/19/2018

WASHINGTON

112-122

L

-1

L

208

O

40-80

50.0%

43

14

41-82

50.0%

45

13

1/21/2018

BROOKLYN

100-101

L

-6

L

210

U

38-90

42.2%

51

6

37-80

46.2%

52

15

1/24/2018

UTAH

95-98

L

-2.5

L

198

U

38-97

39.2%

69

19

38-96

39.6%

58

14

1/27/2018

OKLAHOMA CITY

108-121

L

3

L

205.5

O

39-84

46.4%

53

16

45-93

48.4%

52

9

1/28/2018

@ CLEVELAND

104-121

L

7.5

L

219

O

40-95

42.1%

48

6

42-83

50.6%

55

10

1/30/2018

CLEVELAND

125-114

W

5.5

W

219

O

49-93

52.7%

57

10

38-84

45.2%

50

15

2/1/2018

MEMPHIS

104-102

W

-8.5

L

201

O

35-76

46.1%

50

7

40-96

41.7%

57

9

2/3/2018

MIAMI

111-107

W

-4.5

L

200

O

44-84

52.4%

55

17

44-91

48.4%

37

11

2/5/2018

PORTLAND

111-91

W

-2

W

211

U

44-87

50.6%

58

15

37-94

39.4%

47

13

2/7/2018

BROOKLYN

115-106

W

-10

L

210.5

O

44-92

47.8%

53

7

39-90

43.3%

54

19

2/9/2018

LA CLIPPERS

95-108

L

-3.5

L

221

U

36-88

40.9%

47

9

42-91

46.2%

59

9

2/11/2018

@ ATLANTA

115-118

L

-4

L

208.5

O

38-83

45.8%

50

15

38-78

48.7%

47

13

2/12/2018

NEW ORLEANS

103-118

L

-3.5

L

221.5

U

35-95

36.8%

63

14

44-100

44.0%

61

11

2/14/2018

ATLANTA

104-98

W

-10

L

207

U

35-83

42.2%

56

16

38-89

42.7%

50

11

2/23/2018

BOSTON

98-110

L

2

L

208

P

37-85

43.5%

54

13

41-85

48.2%

52

11

2/25/2018

@ CHARLOTTE

2/26/2018

@ TORONTO

2/28/2018

MILWAUKEE

3/2/2018

@ ORLANDO

3/3/2018

@ MIAMI

3/5/2018

@ CLEVELAND

3/7/2018

TORONTO

3/9/2018

CHICAGO

3/13/2018

@ UTAH

CHARLOTTE - Season Results

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Team Stats

Opp Stats

Date

Opponent

Score

SU

Line

ATS

Tot.

O/U

Shots

Pct

REB

TO

Shots

Pct

REB

TO

1/17/2018

WASHINGTON

133-109

W

-1.5

W

215.5

O

48-98

49.0%

56

9

40-82

48.8%

47

16

1/20/2018

MIAMI

105-106

L

-7

L

201.5

O

41-90

45.6%

51

7

43-87

49.4%

52

14

1/22/2018

SACRAMENTO

112-107

W

-10.5

L

212

O

38-86

44.2%

61

15

43-97

44.3%

50

7

1/24/2018

NEW ORLEANS

96-101

L

-2.5

L

224

U

36-85

42.4%

62

14

39-87

44.8%

52

15

1/26/2018

ATLANTA

121-110

W

-7

W

211.5

O

40-88

45.5%

51

11

37-79

46.8%

47

20

1/27/2018

@ MIAMI

91-95

L

3.5

L

207

U

29-84

34.5%

55

7

38-85

44.7%

61

12

1/29/2018

@ INDIANA

96-105

L

2

L

211.5

U

37-83

44.6%

48

16

45-83

54.2%

45

12

1/31/2018

@ ATLANTA

123-110

W

-2.5

W

211

O

46-90

51.1%

53

10

39-77

50.6%

35

9

2/2/2018

INDIANA

133-126

W

-3

W

209.5

O

44-83

53.0%

51

15

44-87

50.6%

37

11

2/4/2018

@ PHOENIX

115-110

W

-6.5

L

220

O

40-96

41.7%

53

8

41-77

53.2%

43

19

2/5/2018

@ DENVER

104-121

L

4

L

217

O

39-77

50.6%

40

10

46-81

56.8%

44

11

2/8/2018

@ PORTLAND

103-109

L

3

L

211.5

O

38-98

38.8%

54

11

41-90

45.6%

62

17

2/9/2018

@ UTAH

94-106

L

6

L

205.5

U

35-85

41.2%

40

7

41-84

48.8%

60

12

2/11/2018

TORONTO

103-123

L

4

L

217

O

38-89

42.7%

50

13

49-87

56.3%

48

12

2/14/2018

@ ORLANDO

104-102

W

-6.5

L

210.5

U

38-88

43.2%

48

12

36-86

41.9%

58

20

2/22/2018

BROOKLYN

111-96

W

-8.5

W

216.5

U

42-87

48.3%

62

14

36-93

38.7%

48

9

2/23/2018

@ WASHINGTON

122-105

W

3.5

W

211

O

44-90

48.9%

47

8

40-81

49.4%

44

14

2/25/2018

DETROIT

2/27/2018

CHICAGO

2/28/2018

@ BOSTON

3/2/2018

@ PHILADELPHIA

3/4/2018

@ TORONTO

3/6/2018

PHILADELPHIA

3/8/2018

BROOKLYN

3/10/2018

PHOENIX

3/13/2018

@ NEW ORLEANS

KEY GAME INFORMATION

DETROIT: After a playoff appearance in 2016, the Pistons took a step back last season. There was plenty of blame to go around. A lot of the criticism landed on Andre Drummond, who has been Detroit's franchise player but hasn't always lived up to those expectations. He may never become a proficient shooter from the foul line, but he can still have a big impact if his scoring and rebounding numbers look more like they did two seasons ago. Detroit also needed better play from Reggie Jackson, who was bothered by knee issues. The Pistons need improved production from those two this season, and the hope is that swapping Marcus Morris for Avery Bradley while letting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope go turns into a net positive.

CHARLOTTE: The loss of Nic Batum to start the season'the expectation is that he'll be sidelined until at least mid-November with a torn ligament in his left elbow'is a big one for the Hornets, as he was expected to trigger the pick and roll game with Dwight Howard. Filling the void at shooting guard is expected to be Jeremy Lamb, whose off-season improvement and rededication to basketball has drawn raves from head coach Steve Clifford. The feeling is the Hornets can return to being a playoff contender for the third time in five years if Howard returns to an All-Star level after two disappointing season in Houston and Atlanta. Howard has played under Clifford in the past, and his addition allows two-year starter Cody Zeller to play with the second team where he is much better suited.

PREVIEW

Hornets nipping at Pistons' heels

Two teams apparently headed in opposite directions in the Eastern Conference playoff race square off Sunday afternoon when the Detroit Pistons visit the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets (26-33) enter the game in worse playoff position (10th in the East) but headed upward in the rankings, having won three straight, including both games since the All-Star break.

Most impressive was their 122-105 victory on Friday at Washington, which allowed Charlotte to move within 2 1/2 games of ninth-place Detroit (28-30) in the playoff race.

While the Hornets were winning on the road Friday night, the Pistons were falling at home, 110-98 to Boston.

The loss was the Pistons' seventh in a stretch of 13 home outings in their last 15 games.

The teams are meeting in Charlotte for the first time this season after having split two games in Detroit. The Hornets captured a 118-107 victory behind Dwight Howard's 21 points and 17 assists in the most recent meeting last month.

Howard also came up big when the Hornets came out of the All-Star break with a 111-96 home victory over Brooklyn on Thursday. The big guy overpowered the Nets with 15 points and 24 rebounds.

Kemba Walker (24 points) and Frank Kaminsky (23) were the big guns in the win at Washington.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford said he thought Kaminsky's big game was especially uplifting to the team after he totaled six points in his previous two games.

"I think we had three or four guys who were physically, mentally drained there that last week," Clifford said of the stretch of games leading into the All-Star break. "I think he (Kaminsky) was one of those guys."

The break hasn't helped the Pistons, who returned with an unimpressive home victory over Atlanta before the one-sided loss to Boston.

The trickle-down effect of having star point guard Reggie Jackson out with a sprained ankle, combined with having given up two starters (Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley) in the Blake Griffin trade, has impacted the Detroit bench, which produced only 21 points in the loss to the Celtics.

Jackson said he's getting tired of watching, but still has no timeline for a return.

"I'm making strides, but I'm not where I want to be," he said after a light workout this week. "I want to be out there with my guys playing and I want to be fully healthy."

The Pistons are 9-16 since Jackson suffered the injury against Indiana on Dec. 26.

The addition of Griffin late last month hasn't helped as much as hoped.

The former Los Angeles Clippers star helped Detroit win four straight in his first four games, averaging 21.5 points and 7.8 rebounds.

But he has shot only 36 percent in his last five games, averaging 18.8 points, while the Pistons have lost four of five.

Griffin has had a successful history against the Hornets with four double-doubles in his last six games against them. He has averaged 24.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in those six games, leading the Clippers to five wins.